Soulmates? Soulmates
by olicityplease
Summary: Felicity Smoak never believed in soulmates. People needed only to touch their soulmate and they would get a mark that matched their soulmate. Felicity stopped believing in that, but one night changes everything. Can she really have a soulmate out there? And will she find him?
1. Chapter 1

Felicity Smoak didn't know what made someone a soulmate. She had people over the years tell her it was someone who made you happy and you could get along with. These were the people who had gotten their soulmate mark at a young age. She had others tell her a soulmate was someone who balanced you well. That's what her mother told her right before her dad ran out on them and her mark disappeared when he did. Then her best friend, Sin, told her a soulmate was someone who shared your interests and just understood you. Sin still hadn't gotten her soulmate mark, but that sounded as good a reason as any. Felicity knew one thing for sure: she didn't have a soulmate. She was twenty-five years old and no mark had appeared. She thought maybe it would when she had met her ex-boyfriend, Cooper, in college, but nothing ever appeared and, eventually, they couldn't ignore the fact that they just weren't "it" for each other. Felicity was sure there was no one out there who was "it" for her.

You knew someone was your soulmate because you had the exact same mark located in the exact same spot on your body. The only catch was that you had to touch before the mark would appear. It didn't even have to be a deliberate touch – like a hug or a handshake – but you could be walking past someone and your shoulders brush for a fraction of a second and the mark could appear without either of you noticing until it was too late. She had heard stories like that; stories where people would get home one day and notice they had a mark that wasn't there when they woke up and never know who they touched and carried that same mark. Those were the people that spent forever searching. Felicity refused to be one of those people.

When she was a child, her mom told her all about the love she had with Felicity's dad, Damien. Donna told Felicity that when they met, a small 'D' had appeared on the inner of each other's wrist and both of them knew they had met their soulmate. She told Felicity it would happen to her one day, when she was older, and Felicity couldn't wait to have her own soulmate fairy tale. But after her dad left, Felicity knew that's all it was – a fairy tale.

"Felicity!" Felicity was broken out of her daydream by her best friend, Sin, snapping her fingers in front of her face. Had she zoned out again?

"Yes. You did zone out again. Thanks for that, by the way." Sin said. Felicity cringed and shot her an apologetic look before she dug her fork into her pasta and refocused on her best friend.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" Felicity asked her, trying and failing to gracefully eat her chicken alfredo. The stuff was impossible to eat without making a mess.

Sin took a deep breath, feigning irritation, and said, "As I was saying, I think we need to go out. Actually, scratch that. I think you need to go out." Felicity opened her mouth to interrupt but Sin knew her too well and held her hand up before she could get a word in. "And no, Netflix and Orange Is the New Black at my apartment doesn't count as "going out". This Friday, you and I are going out." Sin finished, leaving no room for argument as she stood up, grabbed her bag, and left with a wave over her shoulder.

"Damn her." Felicity muttered to an empty apartment. Sin knew Felicity hated going out, but her friend was hard-headed and she would never take no for an answer. _Maybe I can fake being sick_ , Felicity thought as she finished her dinner and headed to bed. There was no way she was leaving her couch this weekend.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Felicity heard for the third time in the less than ten minutes since she had walked into Verdant. _Why did I let Sin talk me into this?_ Sin hadn't actually talked her into going to the new club in the Glades. What actually happened was Sin showed up precisely at seven when Felicity got home from work and, before she could change into sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt, Sin was shoving her into her room and refusing to let her out until she was in "proper club attire". Felicity would've stayed in her room and waited her out if it hadn't been for the fact that Sin was threatening to throw a party at Felicity's apartment if she didn't change and Felicity _definitely_ didn't want that. So… here she was in a club at nine o'clock on a Friday night, sitting at the bar cradling a glass of wine while her best friend danced with no care in the world.

"Uh, no thank you. I'm good." Felicity politely replied, gesturing to her damn near full glass of wine.

"You sure, sweet cheeks? We could do some shots." He said, getting close enough that she could smell the bourbon on his breath and see the glazed over look in his eyes.

Felicity leaned back in her stool and said in a much firmer tone, "I'm sure."

The man stalked off after a murmured "bitch" and a look of disgust and Felicity couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Pig."

"I must say I agree." A deep voice said from behind her and Felicity whipped her head around. Her eyes met a pair of bright blue eyes and her breath caught in her throat. She felt a shiver run down her spine and Felicity almost fell off of her barstool. In fact, she would've if it weren't for the arm that banded around her waist and basically picked her up off of the stool almost as fast as she had lost her balance on the stool.

 _What is wrong with me?_ Felicity thought as she straightened and stepped out of his hold, feeling slightly disappointed that he didn't try to hold on but grateful he knew not to push his luck.

"Uh… Th-thank you." Felicity somehow stuttered out after she regained her footing and tugged the hem of her dress down from where it had bunched up while she was sitting.

The man smiled and Felicity thought she might actually faint. "It's not a problem. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and that guy-" the man gestured to the asshole that had just disappeared through the crowd "-hadn't bothered you."

Felicity blushed and locked a strand of hair behind her ear before meeting his electric blue eyes and replied with a small, "I'm fine. Thank you."

The man nodded and Felicity expected him to walk off and go back to his group but, instead, he nodded to her drink while making eye contact with the bartender and there was a fresh one in front of her in seconds.

"My treat." He said before smiling at her one last time and walking away.

Felicity stared after where he had gone long after he had been swallowed up by the crowd.

"Well, that was fun!" Sin exclaimed as they made their way to Sin's apartment. She lived one block from the club so they were going to stay at her place instead of driving all the way back to downtown for Felicity's townhouse. They had just left the club and Felicity's feet were killing her, she was exhausted, and she just wanted to lie down with her real soulmate: Netflix.

"I'm not sure 'fun' would be the correct word, but it was alright." Felicity replied as they passed Big Belly Burger. If it wasn't two in the morning, Felicity would've stopped for a burger and milkshake, but they had closed an hour ago and Felicity's stomach rumbled. She really hoped Sin had something to eat at her place.

"Oh, come on, Felicity. I saw you talking to that guy. You were practically drooling over him after he walked away. Did you get his number?" Sin asked as they made it to her apartment building. Felicity shook her head, both as an answer and out of annoyance, as they made it into Sin's apartment and she took her heels off.

 _If I could never wear heels again, it would be too soon._ Felicity thought as she rubbed her sore feet and dropped her shoes by the door before heading to Sin's room and grabbing one of Sin's t-shirts and shorts. They had been friends for so long and shared so many clothes, these could've originally been Felicity's for all she knew. When she went to the bathroom, Felicity rubbed all of her makeup off before hopping in the shower and showering so quickly, she probably set some kind of world record. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was curl up on the couch and fall asleep to mindless late night television.

Felicity was pulling on the t-shirt when she saw it. Just above her hipbone on her right side was a small, green mark. At a closer look, Felicity identified it as an arrow. It was no bigger than Felicity's pinky, but it was there. And it hadn't been there when she was getting ready to go out after work.

"Shit."


	2. Chapter 2

_What just happened?_ That was the first thought that occurred to Oliver Queen as he walked away from the gorgeous blonde who had held his attention since she showed up at Verdant that night. He spotted her as soon as she entered the bar and he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her. From bright blue eyes to legs that seemed to go on for days, he was completely enraptured with her. When he had seen the man that she was talking to get a bit too close and saw she was uncomfortable, he was headed across the dance floor before he could think twice about it.

Now, here he was, unable to stop thinking about her in the basement under Verdant that he liked to call his "man cave". Okay, he didn't actually call it that, but that's what Thea, his sister, called it when he showed her everything he had down here. It was basically one big open space with training mats, an archery wall for target practice, a salmon ladder, and lots of other workout equipment he had collected over the years. Ever since his dad died of a heart attack when Oliver was sixteen, Oliver began working out in an attempt to control the anger he felt for having to grow up so fast. It had been just over a decade since his father passed away and it had worked so far.

"Oliver? Oliver! Are you down here?" Oliver heard his best friend, Tommy, calling for him.

"Yeah, I'm down here!" Oliver called up to Tommy so he could hear him. With the thump of the music from the club, it was a small miracle he heard Tommy at all.

Tommy came down the stairs as Oliver stood from the couch against the wall and they met at the bottom of the stairs. Tommy was smiling wide and Oliver knew his best friend was up to something.

"So… Who was that hot blonde you were talking to and did you get her number?" Tommy was grinning at this point and Oliver rolled his eyes at him. _Did he ever mind his own damn business?_

Oliver took a deep breath before responding with a shake of his head and turned away from Tommy to leave. "It's been a long night. I'm gonna head out."

"Come on, Oliver! Don't be like that. I was just messing with you. Let's go get some food. I'm starving. My treat." Tommy said, following Oliver up the stairs.

"Well, I can't argue with that." Oliver replied, releasing a breath in relief that Tommy let it go.

Now if only Oliver could let it go, too. But he couldn't help but feel there was something different. Like he had made the biggest mistake of his life walking away from her.

When Oliver got home later that night, the heavy feeling he had since walking away from the woman in the club hadn't faded and had actually gotten worse. _Maybe I'm getting sick_ , he tried convincing himself.

After his shower, as he was pulling his sweatpants on and his mind was already on his big, comfy bed and the soundless sleep he was going to be getting for the next eight or so hours, he saw it. A small, green arrow was now on the right side of his torso, just above his hipbone. This was it. This was his soulmate mark.

Oliver Queen knew all about soulmate marks. It was impossible not to. As sure as the sky is blue, once you touched your soulmate, you got matching marks. Oliver never really gave it much thought; he figured he would be one of those people who never settled down. After his dad died, he saw how hard his mom had taken it. People who have lost their soulmate say it's more than just the mark that bound you to that person fading away – it's like losing your heart. His mom was no different. He watched as his mom struggled to function every single day after his dad died. He watched as she checked out of his life and his sister's life because she couldn't deal with the pain that came with losing your soulmate. That lasted for six years before she started to be even a shadow of herself again. Oliver realized then that he never wanted to go through that. To give yourself to someone so completely was never appealing to Oliver and he could never see himself doing that. Ever.

But now, seeing the small green arrow – which was ironic, since he liked archery but he had no idea why it was green, of all colors – on his torso affected him in a surprising way. He realized he no longer looked forward to his big, empty bed. He no longer looked forward to falling asleep by himself and waking up alone. He wanted this. He wanted someone he could share his life with. He wanted someone he could come home to and confide in. He wanted a soulmate.

As that realization dawned on him, so did another: Who the hell had he touched that made his mark appear?


	3. Chapter 3

The weekend after Felicity's mark appeared, she decided to keep herself busy and not think about the small mark that had the power to change everything she loved about her life. So, instead of thinking about it, she reorganized her bookshelf, alphabetized her movie collection, and even called her mother (who she refused to tell about the new mark on her hip). Felicity didn't want to think about who it could've been that she touched on Friday to get her mark. For all she knew, it could've been one of the many people she passed in the club or that new intern at work who creeped her out. She knew it couldn't have been the guy she had been calling "Mr. Perfect" in her head. Sure, they had touched, but he probably had a wife and kids at home with her luck. He was just being polite in not letting her fall on her ass in the middle of Verdant.

At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

By Monday morning, Felicity had completely avoided thinking about the mark (too much) and was on her way to work when she saw him. "Mr. Perfect" was making his way into her favorite coffee shop that she always stopped at on her way to work – she walked to work since it was only four blocks and the only exercise she would ever willingly participate in – and her jaw hit the floor. He looked just as good as he had at the club in a grey suit with a blue tie that made his eyes pop. She made her way across the street and thought that if she could just get her nonfat latte and be on her way, she could never see him again and her heart would stop trying to beat out of her chest at just the sight of him.

As she entered the coffee shop, she made her way to the line with the man nowhere to be found. She let out a relieved breath as she waited in line and when she ordered her coffee with an extra shot of espresso, she knew she had breathed a sigh of relief too soon. As she pulled her wallet out of her purse to pay the barista, a warm hand landed on her shoulder as a deep voice said, "I'll have a large black coffee and I'll pay for hers as well." Felicity went to insist she could pay for her own coffee when she turned around to see the same man from the club that night with the bright blue eyes that seemed – as cheesy as it sounded – to reach deep into her soul. _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._ Felicity tried to ignore the way her pulse quickened and her hands began to sweat as she went to wait for her coffee without a word to the man. _Damn, you couldn't even thank him? Way to be rude, Felicity,_ she chastised herself. After he paid for their coffees, he joined her off to the side of the counter and out of the way with a shy smile and an outstretched hand.

"I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Oliver." He said, waiting for her to introduce herself.

Felicity gave herself a mental slap across the face to snap herself out of this. _He is just very handsome. You can handle this. Just tell him your name._ "Felicity." _Really? JUST your name? Really? Not even a hello? Nothing?_ Felicity's subconscious was not helping her nerves at all.

Oliver gave her a lopsided grin and Felicity could see this was a man who knew how attractive he was. That grin probably had women all around the world falling at his feet. "Felicity, huh? I like it. It's different." He told her, never once breaking eye contact. Wow, she really liked how her name sounded on his lips.

"So, what do you do, Felicity?" Oliver asked her, seeming genuinely interested in whatever she said next.

"I work in the IT Department at Queen Consolidated." Felicity said, smiling. She loved her job. She had known from a young age she wanted to work with computers and right after MIT, she moved to Starling City just to work at QC. She loved their Advanced Sciences work and hoped to eventually move up in the company and work in that division.

Oliver seemed impressed by this when he said, "Oh, do you? Queen Consolidated, huh? Do you like it?"

"Yeah, I like it a lot." Felicity said, genuinely smiling. She loved her job. She really did.

Oliver opened his mouth to reply when the barista had both of their coffees ready, so they both grabbed them and made their way outside. Felicity turned to walk to work, assuming Oliver had to go the opposite direction, when he fell into step with her, sipping on his coffee.

"Oh. You're headed this way, too?" Felicity asked him without thinking. Then she realized by the confused expression on his face that her question had come off as rude, so she added, "I don't mean that in a bad way. Just figured you worked at Merlyn Global or something like that."

"How do you know I don't work at Queen Consolidated?" He asked, with something close to mischief sparkling in his eyes.

Felicity stuttered before she could answer. Why hadn't she thought about that? "Uh… Do you? I've never seen you there. I'd remember." She said. _Did she really just say that last part out loud?_

Oliver laughed and Felicity found herself completely enchanted by the sound. It was deep and throaty, and heaven to her ears.

" _I_ don't work there, but I know some, uh, other people who work there." He answered, smiling wistfully. Felicity decided not to pry and ask who he knew that worked there. If he wanted her to know, he would've told her.

"Oh, so is that why you're headed this way? Visit someone?" Okay, she couldn't help herself. But it was a legitimate question, right? Right.

As they reached the building, Oliver held the door open for her while he said, "Yeah. I have an appointment with someone, so I better get going. It was, uh, nice to see you again Felicity." He told her as she walked past him, her shoulder brushing against his chest and she felt that familiar spark from Friday night.

She smiled up at him, thanked him for the coffee and made her way up to her office, the smile never leaving her face. The rest of the day, she thought of blue eyes, a green arrow mark, and "what if, what if, what if _Oliver_ is my soulmate?"


	4. Chapter 4

As Oliver made his way into Big Belly Burger to meet up with John Diggle, the head of security for Verdant, he couldn't contain the smile on his face as he thought about Felicity. Running into her at the coffee shop he had been going to for years had been completely coincidental, but when he saw her walk in, he knew he would be sure to "run late" to his daily breakfasts with his mother every day if it meant seeing Felicity. The fact that she worked at QC made him want to look into her personal file, but he didn't want to push those boundaries. He was hoping to get to know her better and using his power like that would be a bad way to start… well, whatever they were starting.

Oliver made it to the booth he and Digg had always shared in the three years they had done these meetings. The older man was already there and he nodded at him in acknowledgement before going back to looking at the menu as Oliver sat down. John Diggle had come into Oliver's life when Oliver needed someone to run security at Verdant, and while Oliver gained a trusted employee, he also gained a brother. They had quickly formed a bond and while Tommy was Oliver's best friend, John was like the older brother Oliver never realized he wanted.

"Hey, John. How's it going?" Oliver asked as he picked up his own menu. The two men always looked at the menu, but ended up ordering the same thing every time. It was like they used the time it took to look at the menu to get their thoughts together. At least, that's what Oliver did.

"Good. Security is going good at the club. I had to let Ray go yesterday. He spent more time staring at his phone than he did watching the door. I've got some interviews lined up this week though, so we'll be good for the Friday crowd. How are things with you? How's- Wait. What is that? Are you… smiling? No. You're glowing! Who is she?" John was always way too perceptive for Oliver to keep anything to himself.

Oliver rolled his eyes as the smile on his face turned into a grin and he told John all about Felicity. He told him about kind of meeting her at the club and then going home that night to see the soulmate mark on his torso and not knowing who could've been the reason it was there until he saw her walk into the coffee shop just that morning. He told John every detail like he was a sixteen year old girl gossiping to her friends, but Oliver didn't care. He had been wanting to tell someone about her since Friday night, but Tommy would've had Felicity hunted down, Moira would've been ecstatic for him but she would've had that sadness in her eyes because of his father that would've broken Oliver, and Thea would've started planning their wedding. So, here he was telling a man who had become like a brother.

"Wow. That's great, man. Really. I'm so happy for you." John said just as the waitress came to take their orders.

After she had walked away, Oliver looked up at John and saw something he had never seen from the man before. Hesitance. "But?" Oliver questioned.

John hesitated before he continued. "But… Do you really want a soulmate? You've never even mentioned wanting to settle down. Even when me and Lyla got married and I thought you would start to see having a soulmate is a good thing, you didn't say anything. How sure are you that you're ready for this?"

Oliver didn't hesitate in replying. "I didn't think I wanted a soulmate, Digg, but when I saw that mark the night I met her, I realized I do want a soulmate. I want someone I can confide in and come home to and share my life with. I want that and I want that with her. I can feel it, Diggle. It's like there's this… pull between us. When she walked into the coffee shop, it's like I felt her there before I saw her. When I saw her at the club, my eyes were drawn to her immediately. And it's more than just her being beautiful, which she is, but it's like my soul is drawn to hers. Does that even make sense? I hope it makes sense."

Diggle smiled knowingly and Oliver knew he understood. "Yes, Oliver. It makes sense. When are you two going out?"

Oliver cringed. "Well… I didn't exactly ask her out. Or get her number. Or get anything more than her name and where she works. But I'm working on it! I'm working on it."

"As long as you don't resort to stalking, you'll- Dammit, Oliver! You aren't actually stalking her, are you?!"

"No, no, no. Of course not! I'm just… going to be at the same coffee shop I ran into her at in hopes of her being there…" Oliver trailed off, realizing how he sounded. But as hard as he tried, he couldn't find himself to feel ashamed of himself. Not if it meant getting a date with someone who could very well be the love of his life.

Felicity walked into her apartment after a long day at work with a smile on her face and a little pep in her step. She hadn't stopped thinking about Oliver at work all day and she had never been happier that she was so good at multitasking or her supervisor would not have been happy. She often found herself daydreaming about his bright blue eyes and the body she knew had to be quite impressive under those suits. If she could just-

"Hey!" Felicity jumped out of her skin as she heard Sin's voice come out of nowhere. She clutched at her heart as she waited for it to slow down and glared at her best friend.

"Are you crazy?! You gave me a heart attack, Cindy! What are you doing here?" Felicity questioned, using her friend's real name just to get under her skin while simultaneously regretting ever giving her the spare key.

Sin didn't look apologetic at all. "Well… I would be sorry if you had told me you were dating Oliver freaking Queen!"

Felicity was confused before she recognized Oliver's name, but Queen? As in… No. It couldn't be. She had never met or even seen the man who was to inherit Queen Consolidated one day, but there was no way he was _her_ Oliver, right? No. That would be… No. There was just no possible way.

"I'm not dating anyone, including Oliver Queen." Felicity told Sin as she plopped onto her couch. She just didn't have the energy to change right now.

Sin cast a skeptical raised eyebrow to Felicity as she joined her on the couch. "That's not what Oliver Queen said."

"Wait, what? What do you mean?"

"Well, I was just minding my own business at Big Belly Burger earlier and ordering us dinner when I saw him come in as he always does on Monday nights and it just so happened that I was sitting in the booth behind his and I heard him tell the man he was with that, long story short, he was pretty sure _you_ were his soulmate. Now… Want to try that answer again?" Sin held out Felicity's usual from Big Belly Burger, but Felicity was stunned into silence. "Are you gonna eat this or do I need to eat it? I ate my burger waiting for you, but I can eat two of these."

"I'm- I- What?" Felicity stuttered. She usually had a problem with rambling, but now she couldn't even form a complete sentence. Could her Oliver really be Oliver Queen? She thought about their time together that morning when she mentioned she worked at Queen Consolidated and- "Shit."

His reaction made complete sense now. She had recognized the mischief in his eyes and then he said he "knew" people there. Of course! His family owned the company! Stupid, Felicity! Stupid! Her soulmate could potentially be Oliver Queen? Felicity felt her heart rate pick up. Was this actually happening right now?

"Ah. There it is. I just saw the lightbulb go off." Sin said, smirking at her.

"I just- I didn't know he was Oliver Queen! He never told me his last name! But are you sure he was talking about me? Maybe we've got this all wrong." Felicity was firmly planted in denial.

Sin ate a fry and rolled her eyes. "Well, unless there's another Felicity in this city who has, and I quote, 'beautiful, blonde hair and blue eyes that I could get lost in', then yes. He was talking about you."

Felicity's jaw dropped to the ground at hearing those words. Oliver had said that about her? And Oliver thought she could be his soulmate?

"Wait. Why does he think I'm his soulmate? Did he mention a soulmate mark? Did he say what it looked like? Tell. Me. Everything." Things were getting serious now. What if he had the green arrow on the front of his body, just above his hip? What if they were actually soulmates?

Sin jumped off the couch and yelled, "You have a soulmate mark and didn't tell me?! Felicity Megan Smoak! Let me see right now! Where is it? I don't care if it's on your ass! Show me right now!"

Felicity blushed because she felt bad that she hadn't told her best friend about the mark appearing on Friday night, but she had time to feel bad later. Right now, she had to get to the bottom of this.

"It's not on my ass! It's right above my hip. Here." Felicity lifted her blouse so Sin could see the mark and Sin lowered herself in front of the couch to get a closer look at the small green arrow.

After she stared at the mark for at least two minutes, she looked up at Felicity with tears in her eyes. "Felicity, this… this is exactly the mark he described. Oh my God! You have a soulmate! You have a soulmate, Felicity!" Sin was jumping up and down now, happy tears flowing down her face.

Felicity had one thought that she could actually process at that moment.

"I need wine."


	5. Chapter 5

Felicity woke up the next day with a headache because she had a little too much wine, but she felt she was allowed to drink three bottles of wine when finding out her soulmate was Oliver Queen. She went through her typical morning routine with a scowl because every time she turned on a light, she was reminded she had a headache and that reminded her why she got drunk and that reason was the damn soulmate mark that she wished would just go back to where it came from. But after thinking that, she felt guilty because the only way someone lost a soulmate mark was if their soulmate died and Felicity may not want a soulmate, but she didn't want someone to die either. So… Basically her brain wouldn't shut the hell up.

She went to her beloved coffee shop with no Oliver in sight as she was crossing the street. She peeked inside and saw no sight of him and she thanked whatever higher power there was as she slowly made her way closer and closer to her much needed latte.

"Can I get the largest vanilla latte you have with two espresso shots please?" Felicity said before the employee could even greet her. Okay, she was a bit grumpy because of her headache (she refused to admit she was hungover on a Tuesday).

The employee gave her a sympathetic smile as she grabbed a cup. "Name?"

"Felicity." Just as Felicity was grabbing her wallet, the cashier fumbled with the cup she was writing on and put it down. _Why is she putting down the only thing that is going to get me through this day?_

"Felicity? As in Felicity who works at Queen Consolidated?" The employee asked her.

"Uh… Yes?" It sounded like a question, but Felicity didn't understand how the woman knew where she worked.

The barista turned and went to the back of the store without another word and Felicity looked around, receiving more than one glare from those behind her since she was holding up the line.

Felicity was about to just leave and go to the name brand coffee place just a couple blocks on the other side of QC when the employee returned with the manager. _What the hell is going on?_

"Felicity? Can you come with me please?" The manager asked.

Felicity looked around in embarrassment before asking, "Did I-Did I do something? I just want a coffee…"

The manager smiled at her. "No ma'am. Nothing is wrong. I just need you to follow me to the roof."

"The roof?" Felicity took a step back. "Uh… Not to sound like I'm an eight year old child, but I don't follow people I don't know."

"Well, you'll be happy to know I don't plan on going anywhere past the door to the roof. Mr. Queen said he would like it to be just the two of you." He said, encouraging her to the hallway with a door that clearly said ROOF ACCESS at the end of it.

"Mr-Mr. Queen? Wait, he's here?" Felicity felt her face flush. Oliver had done this?

"Yes ma'am. He asked me to send a woman named Felicity with blonde hair and glasses who works at Queen Consolidated to the roof instead of serving her. He ensured me no harm would come to you and to bring you whatever drink you would like."

"Oh. Well… Uh… I'll just have a large latte with an extra shot." That double shot didn't seem all that necessary anymore with the excitement she felt at seeing Oliver again.

"Of course. Now, go on up. I'll bring your coffee once it's done." He smiled at her and turned away before she could say thank you.

She turned around and made her way to the door that led to the roof. As she made her way up, she grew more and more nervous. Why had Oliver gone through all this trouble? Couldn't he have just let her be? She didn't think Oliver Queen would want a soulmate, so why was he trying so hard to seek her out? _This has to be some sort of trick._ But even as the words formed in her head, she knew it wasn't.

She also couldn't ignore the way her heart beat faster and faster with every step she took. She fumbled more than once and blamed it on her non-hangover, but she knew it was her nerves. The headache she had been feeling all morning was now a non-issue.

As she made her way to the top of the stairs and reached the door, she took a deep, steadying breath to try and calm her nerves. Her palms were sweaty, her hands were shaking, and her knees felt weak. She had never felt this way because of a man before and she wondered if this was how it was for everyone when they met their soulmate.

 _No. He is not your soulmate. You don't want a soulmate, Felicity. Snap out of it. You are not some lovesick woman who believes in fairy tales. You are strong and independent. Get yourself together!_ After her pep talk, she stood up straight, set her shoulders back, and thought, "Here goes nothing."


	6. Chapter 6

Oliver's leg would not stop twitching. He didn't know if it was from excitement or nerves; he just knew it needed to stop before he made a fool of himself. He was sitting on the roof of the coffee shop waiting for Felicity and he was sure he would be sweating if it wasn't for the perfect temperature in Starling City. The sky was blue with no clouds in sight and the sun was just beginning to rise above the building of downtown. Birds were chirping, cars were honking, and there was a light breeze fanning across his face.

Well… Today seems like as good a day as any to tell your soulmate they are your… soulmate.

Oliver heard the door to the roof open and turned to see her. Felicity was standing in the doorway in professional attire – sleek black pants and a red blouse. He knew she was heading to work but even now she was breathtaking. He didn't try to fight back the grin that formed on his face at seeing her, but she seemed to be… scowling? Was she scowling at him? Yup. Definitely scowling.

"Felicity, hi. Nice to see you again." Oliver started, ignoring the look she was shooting him. "Please, have a seat." He gestured to the small table he had set up on the roof and they sat. He noticed she didn't settle in like she was going to stay, but was sitting on the edge of the chair like she was going to bolt at any second.

Oliver felt the hope in his heart that she was his soulmate falter for just a second.

"How are you?" He asked, just as Rick, the manager, brought their coffee. He thanked the man as he set it on the table and nodded before leaving.

Felicity grabbed her coffee and Oliver stared as she drank the warm liquid in gulps. He sipped his – he had already had five cups since he only slept three hours last night trying to plan this – and watched her. Waiting for her to say _something_.

She set her cup down and finally looked up at him. He saw a moment of hesitation before she started talking. "What's going on here, Oliver? Why are we up here? I have work in fifteen minutes."

Oliver liked that she was dedicated to her job. "You won't be late. You have my word."

"Okay. So… why are we up here?"

Oliver smiled. "Well… There's something I would like to talk to you about, but I didn't want to talk about it in a coffee shop full of people or make you uncomfortable and do it at your job, so this seemed like the best option."

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked, and he could see she was nervous but trying to hide it. It made him like her even more.

"Actually" he started, pausing to sip from his coffee because his palms were sweating again. "I wanted to get to know you a little better, if that's okay."

"Uh… Sure. What do you want to know? My name is Felicity Smoak. I'm originally from Vegas. Went to college at MIT. Moved here. And now I work at Queen Consolidated. There's not much to know. I'm pretty boring, actually." She finished, shrugging.

Oliver highly doubted there was anything about her that was boring.

"MIT, huh? Impressive."

"Yeah, I guess. What about you? What's your story?" She asked him, but he could see the challenge in her eyes. She probably figured out who he is. Normally Oliver would be worried she knew already, but he wasn't. They were soulmates – hopefully – after all.

"My name is Oliver Queen." He paused to relish in the surprise on her face at him being honest. Hell, he was kind of surprised, but she could potentially be his soulmate. He wasn't here to play games. "I'm born and raised here in Starling. Never finished college. And I own Verdant. Also, I highly doubt you're boring."

Felicity raised her eyebrow at his last comment, but didn't say anything. She continued sipping on her coffee as he did the same. Usually, silence was uncomfortable for Oliver, but he didn't feel uncomfortable with Felicity. He felt… home, as cheesy as that sounds, with her. It was comforting.

Oliver checked his watch and saw that if they didn't leave now, Felicity would be late to work and he didn't want that to happen. He had given her his word she wouldn't be late and, if Oliver had one thing, it was his word.

"This has been fun, but I'm afraid we have to go if you want to make it to work on time. Shall we?" He stood and held his hand out to her, waiting for her to take it. She didn't make him wait too long, but she did seem hesitant. He hated that she seemed hesitant with him, but he would do anything to break down her walls, piece by piece. But the moment he felt her hand in his, he knew he could do it. Their hands just… fit. He felt home with her and he had never felt that before. She _had_ to be his soulmate.

They walked down the stairs and to the front of the café in silence, waving to Rick when they spotted him behind the counter. Oliver opened the door for both of them and Felicity went to walk towards QC when he said, "Ride with me. I don't want you to be late." He held the town car open for her and watched her check her watch and cringe, realizing that if she didn't ride with him, she would indeed be late.

"Fine, but just this once." She said as she got in and he closed the door, running to the other side to get in the car next to her.

"Queen Consolidated, Roy, and step on it." Oliver told his driver.

"Yes, sir." Roy replied, merging into traffic.

Oliver rested his hands in his lap, fighting the urge to grab Felicity's hands and never let go. _In time,_ he told himself. "So, Felicity, I was thinking maybe-"

Felicity interrupted him with a groan. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, but I have the worst headache. Is it okay if I rest my eyes the rest of the way?"

"Oh. Uh, of course. Not a problem." Well, so much for asking her out. As she rested her head against the headrest, he took the freedom of her eyes being closed to take her in. He could see a hint of freckles on her face, almost completely concealed by makeup, and her lips… God, her beautiful and plump lips made his pants feel tighter.

 _What am I doing? I'm visually assaulting her. Get it together, Oliver! You do not want to scare this woman away!_

He faced forward the rest of the way… Okay, that's a lie. But he only glance at her eight times before they made it to the office. He considered that a win.

"Thanks for joining me, Felicity. I had a great time." He said as Roy parked the car in front of QC with two minutes to spare.

She opened her eyes and gazed at him across the car, offering a small smile. "Thanks for driving me. I appreciate it."

"The pleasure is all mine." _If only you knew._ He got out of the car and opened the door for her, once again offering her his hand and once again feeling a sense of home. They only touched for a brief moment, but it was enough to confirm what he already knew: she was his soulmate.

Now he just had to prove it… somehow.

….NICOLE PICK NEXT CHAPTER UP IN FELICITY'S POV AND OLIVER SENT HER FLOWERS


	7. Chapter 7

Lunch time came around and Felicity's headache hadn't gone away. She hadn't eaten since the night before and knew her hangover headache had turned into an I-need-food-before-I-pass-out headache. She was logging off of her computer just as the man she remembered as Roy walked into her office carrying a vase of flowers and something that smelled heavenly.

"Felicity, right? Mr. Queen wanted me to deliver these to you. He would have done it himself, but something came up at Verdant." The young man placed the flowers on her desk along with the bag of food.

Felicity was speechless. "Uh-Uh-Wow. I mean thank you. Thanks _." And that was just a pathetic response_ , she thought to herself. She was just grateful Oliver himself hadn't delivered them. She wasn't sure she would've even been able to get that out.

Roy smiled and left without saying another word. Felicity stood speechless for an embarrassing amount of time before reading the card that came with the flowers:

 _Felicity,_

 _I hope you're feeling better since I saw you this morning. I know I kept you from your breakfast, so here is some lunch from my favorite café in the city. Will you meet me tonight? I'd like to talk to you about something. Verdant? I'll be there all night, so if you can make it then I look forward to seeing you. If not, then I'm sure we'll run into each other again. :)_

 _Sincerely and possibly embarrassingly,_

 _Oliver_

Felicity read the note three more times before she accepted Oliver Queen had actually just sent her flowers, food, and a card. She put the card in her purse so she didn't lose it before taking the food out of the bag. She opened the restaurant container to see chicken Alfredo, garlic bread, and a salad. Her mouth salivated at the sight. She grabbed the pasta first, knowing the carbs would help rid of her headache. She didn't know if she was going to meet Oliver at Verdant, but she did know one thing: he was trying to woo her and he was succeeding.

Felicity made her way into the club that night after battling with herself all day. She had convinced herself not to go before Sin called her after she got off of work and, after Felicity spilled her guts about breakfast with Oliver as well as the flowers and lunch he sent, insisted she go or she would never talk to her ever again.

"He's your soulmate, Felicity! If you don't go, I will. And I'll tell him your phone number, address, and any other information I think may be necessary. When you're on your period, your social security number, everything!"

That had shut Felicity up and she got ready, not wanting to get to the club too early or too late – she did have work in the morning.

She arrived at eight o'clock, immediately heading to the bar. That was where she had met Oliver, so she figured that was where he would know to find her. She sat down and flagged down the bartender, ordering a glass of red wine. If she was going to make it through the night, she would need the liquid courage.

Oliver was on the upper level of the club where he had remained since the club had opened. He wasn't sure if she was going to show, but if she did, he wanted to know immediately and he couldn't hide the shit eating grin on his face when she walked in. Like the night they first met, he saw her immediately and the breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a red dress that hugged her chest before flowing out at her hips and fell to her knees. He would've called it a sundress, except he had never seen a sundress look that good. Ever.

He made his way downstairs quickly, not wanting her to change her mind before he could get to her. As he walked up to her, she turned and looked right at him like she had known he was there. He smiled at her and as he reached her, he put his hand on her shoulder before leaning down to whisper in her ear so she could hear him above all the noise.

"You look radiant, Felicity. Thanks for coming."

She blinked up at him as he pulled back and cleared her throat. "Thanks for the flowers and the lunch. They are beautiful and the pasta was delicious."

He gestured to the bartender for a refill for her and a water for him. "Of course. Are you feeling better?"

She smiled at him. "Much. Thank you."

"Can we go somewhere maybe more… quiet? I didn't think this whole meet-me-at-the-club plan through." Oliver smiled sheepishly, hoping she would agree.

She hesitated and looked around, contemplating. Oliver wasn't sure if she just didn't trust him or if she was just hesitant in everything she did. "Sure. But not to your place. Not that I automatically assume that's where you'd want to go! Just that I'm not going to sleep with you. I mean- Feel free to stop me anytime."

Oliver chuckled and grabbed her hand, feeling the usual rush of electricity at her touch. He never wanted to get used to that feeling.

He led her through the club to the side door that led to his "man cave" under the club. He entered the code that he had installed on it after club goers had tried going down there when he first opened the club. As they made their way down the stairs, Oliver felt like he was showing Felicity a part of himself that not many people saw. Sure his family and his friends had seen it, but he had never shown a woman this place before. He always felt like it was his go to place when he needed to be alone, but ever since he met Felicity, he didn't want to be alone. He wanted to show her every part of his life: the business man, the friend, the brother, the son… and now, the soulmate.


	8. Chapter 8

As Oliver led Felicity to what she assumed was the basement of Verdant, she told herself this wasn't a big deal. Her mind told her they would just talk and she wouldn't feel anything, but her heart and her body were singing a different tune. Already her heart was pounding in her chest with nerves and excitement, while her body had goosebumps from his hand that still held hers; her body felt the electricity flow through her when they touched. Why did he affect her so much?

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Oliver turned the lights on and Felicity took everything around her in. She saw work out areas with training mats, what she could only describe as a gun range but with arrows, and a tall ladder looking thing that was wider than a ladder and went nowhere. She had no idea what to think.

"Uh… Oliver? What is all of this?" She asked him.

Oliver smiled down at her. "My sister, Thea, calls this my "man cave", but I just consider it my home away from home. I spend a lot of my free time here. I come here to work out, to think… It's my go-to place when I need time alone."

Felicity nodded in understanding. "Why did you bring me here then? It seems special to you."

"Well… I'm hoping one day, you'll be special to me."

Felicity's throat closed up. "Uh… What? Why would you say that? You barely know me. I barely know you! What- Why? I think I should go."

Felicity abruptly turned around, ready to flee from Oliver and never see him again. He seemed to want so much from her and she wasn't sure she could give him anything. Even if they were soulmates, which she still wasn't sure about, was she ready for a relationship? Could she completely give herself to another person like that? She sure didn't think so.

"Felicity! Felicity, wait. Please." Oliver called after her, causing her to stop. It was like her body listened to him when her mind was ready to get the hell out of there. "I don't mean to scare you off, Felicity. I just… Don't you feel it?" He now stood in front of her and he lifted her chin to look at him. "When I touch you, I feel this… spark. I don't know how else to explain it. It's like we're connected, Felicity. It's like we're soul-"

"Don't say it." Felicity said, interrupting him.

A look of hurt took over Oliver's face. "You don't feel it?"

Felicity shook her head in an attempt to clear it of all the thoughts running through her mind. "Yes. No. I don't know, Oliver! I barely know you! How can people be soulmates when they barely know each other?"

Oliver grabbed her hand and took it in both of his. "I know we barely know each other, but I can feel it. I can feel it in my heart, Felicity. Ever since I saw you at Verdant that night I first saw you, I felt a connection to you that I had never felt with anyone. And when you almost fell off of your bar stool," He paused with a distant look on his face, smiling, "and I wrapped my arm around your waist, I felt this jolt of electricity that awakened me. It was like meeting you awakened my soul. I know it sounds stupid and like we're moving so fast, but it's true. Please, just give me a chance. Give us a chance. That's all I'm asking."

Felicity took in Oliver's words as she stared into his eyes. She knew he was being sincere. She knew they could be great together, and she even knew that she felt exactly like he did. She felt that jolt of electricity when they had touched. But he was talking about souls and awakening and she just didn't know if she was ready for all of this. But did she really want to turn away from this before it even started? But did she want to put her heart on the line like he was asking her to?

"Can I take some time to think about this?" Oliver's face fell. "I need some time to think about all of this, Oliver."

"Take all the time you need. I'll be here." He smiled at her, letting her hands go.

Felicity ignored the twinge of disappointment that went through her when he let go.


	9. Chapter 9

Felicity needed time and Oliver needed a plan. He wasn't sure what to do. Did he respect her wishes and give her time? If so, does time also mean space? Did she just want him to leave her alone altogether? Dammit, why didn't he ask her?! And how much time does he give her? A day? A week? A month? Too much. Could he really not see her for a full twenty-four hours without going crazy with worry? What if she decided she didn't want to be with him? What if she decided she did? What if he just never heard from her again? Oliver never considered himself a patient man.

Oliver walked into Queen Consolidated the next morning after avoiding the coffee shop he knew Felicity had frequented. If he was going to give her time, he was going to give her space, too. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder… Right? He pushed the button for the elevator and waited, lost in his thoughts about a certain blonde, when he felt that familiar spark of electricity. But this time, it wasn't because she had touched him. It was because she had entered the building. How is it possible for someone to affect another person like this?

Oliver turned around to see her walking through the lobby like she hadn't slept all night. She was dragging and had dark circles under her eyes. Had he done this to her? He hoped not. Oliver sent a quick text to Roy and put his phone away just in time to meet her eyes as she approached the elevators.

"Oh! Oliver. Hey." She said, surprised at seeing him.

He went out to touch her like it was his damn second nature but remembered she needs time and pulled back. "Hey. How are you?"

She glanced down. "Fine, and you?"

He wished she would just talk to him but he didn't want to push her. He went along with it. "Fine. I'm just here to see my mother. I'm not stalking you, I promise."

This earned him a small smile. "I believe you."

Just then, the elevator dinged and Oliver gestured for Felicity to go first and put his hand at the small of her back without thinking about it and watched as goosebumps appeared on all of her visible skin. _Well, at least he knew he affected her like she affected him._ The elevator doors closed and Oliver pushed the floor for the IT Department and the floor with his mother's office. They were the only two in the elevator by some small miracle and he wasn't going to waste the time that they had.

"I know you need time, Felicity, and like I said last night, I'm going to give you all the time that you need. I'll be here if you realize you want to give us a shot, and I'll give you space if you decide you're not ready for this. But I'm positive about this, Felicity. I know we could be great if you would just give us a chance. I'm not trying to force a decision from you. If anything, I like you more because you think things through. But… Can I ask something?" Oliver waited until she nodded and he continued. "Can you be honest with yourself? I know you feel this, Felicity. I know you feel the way I do and I know it's scary. I know it's terrifying to put yourself out there, believe me. I thought I never wanted a soulmate too. After my dad died and I saw what my mom went through, I never wanted that. I never wanted to go through that."

"What changed?" She asked.

"You." He replied.

The elevator dinged, indicating they had reached Felicity's floor and, just like that, the moment was gone. "Have a good day, Felicity."

He watched as she nodded and stepped off the elevator and he just hoped he hadn't just ruined everything.

Felicity got to her office by sheer luck. She had been a zombie all morning, running on fumes and two hours of sleep. She tossed and turned all night, thinking about what Oliver had said to her at the club. He had felt the spark she felt every time they were in the same vicinity. He had told her meeting her had awakened his _soul_. That's a huge deal. But did she really want that kind of responsibility? She still didn't know. Last night, his words just kept replaying in her head. She hadn't reached any conclusions and she hated that she was doing this to him.

She got to her office and turned her computer on, set her things down, and decided she needed coffee. She hadn't gone to her coffee shop that morning because she was afraid she would run into Oliver again. _So much for that._

She was about to head for the break room to grab a cup when she saw Roy, Oliver's driver, heading straight for her office. He was holding a cup holder with four coffee cups and she stared at them with longing.

"Mrs. Smoak." He addressed her, coming to a stop at the door to her office.

"Hello, Mr…?" She only knew him as Roy.

He offered a smile. "Harper."

"Mr. Harper. How can I help you?"

"Mr. Queen sent me." He said, holding out the coffee holder to her. "He wasn't sure if you had any coffee this morning, so he sent me to get you some."

Felicity stared at the four large coffee cups. "Some?"

Roy laughed. "Hey, he wanted me to get more than this, but I told him no one should drink that much coffee before noon."

"Thank you, Mr. Harper. I appreciate you doing this for me, but-"

"Please, call me Roy."

"Okay… Roy. But-"

"Mr. Queen said if you refuse the coffee, he will personally break the coffee maker in the employee break room on this floor, and every floor, until you do. Please just accept the coffee, Mrs. Smoak."

"Please, call me Felicity."

Roy smirked at her. "Felicity, Mr. Queen is a good man. He would never force anyone to accept something they didn't want, but it's obvious you need this coffee. Please."

Felicity sighed, grabbing the coffee holder. "Fine. But let Mr. Queen know I'm only doing this so no one else suffers with no coffee. That's it. And I don't need him to buy me things. I have a job and I make good money and- No. You know what? I'll tell him myself." She shoved the coffee back into Roy's hands and grabbed her purse off of her desk. She made her way to the door before she stopped and turned around, looking at a stunned Roy. "Actually…" She walked up to him and grabbed one of the cups of coffee. "I will take one of these. Thanks."

She would need the caffeine to get her through the serious tongue lashing she was about to give Mr. Queen. _Ugh. Had her brain really just worded it like that?_

Felicity made her way up to the 52nd floor where she knew Moira Queen's office was located. She had never met the matriarch, but she had heard the woman was a force to be reckoned with. Felicity just hoped she wasn't around when she reached the woman's office. She knew it was wishful thinking.

The elevator dinged and Felicity stepped off, making her way to Mrs. Queen's assistant. "Uh, hi. I need to see Oliver Queen. I believe he's in with Mrs. Queen right now. Do you know when they'll be done? I can wait."

The assistant showed no interest at all in Felicity and asked her in a bored voice, "Name?"

"Felicity Smoak." Felicity stood just a bit taller when recognition flashed in the young woman's eyes.

"Oh! Mrs. Smoak. Hi. Take a seat. It'll be just a moment." The woman said in a much nicer tone and gestured to the small couch that sat to the right of the assistant's desk and to the left of Moira Queen's office.

"Uh… Okay. Thanks." Felicity took a seat at the small couch and set her coffee on the end table, wondering why Moira Queen's assistant had done a complete 180 after hearing Felicity's name. Weird.

"Felicity? Is everything okay?" Oliver's worried voice cut through Felicity's thoughts as he stood right in front of her suddenly.

"What? Oh, yeah. Well, no. Not really. I need to talk to you." Felicity said, remembering why she had come up here.

"Oh." She tried to ignore that she saw some of the light leave his eyes. "Okay. Let's go into the conference room." He gestured to the room across from his mother's office and allowed Felicity to lead the way. The door to the conference room closed behind them and Felicity whirled around, ready to tell this man everything she had come up here to say; that she could buy her own coffee and him threatening all of the coffee makers in the building was just cruel and-

She kissed him. She wasn't sure how it happened. She had been pissed off at him just a minute ago and now her lips were pressed against his. She felt one hand come around her hips while his other hand tangled itself in her hand, pressing her closer. Both of her hands were placed on each side of his face, her standing on her tip toes. She tilted her head, needing more. The press of their lips together had made her heart race and stop at the same time. It was like her heart was ready to beat out of her chest from beating so fast, but it was also like that moment froze everything around them – like only the two of them existed in the world. She felt that familiar spark she always felt around him, but now it was like an entire bolt of lightning had struck her. It was like her entire body had become a conductor for electricity and Oliver was the spark she needed to have a purpose.

That was when she knew. With every fiber of her being and every beat of her heart, she knew he was her soulmate. Sin had told her this days ago, but Felicity refused to believe it. But here, in this moment, his lips pressed to hers and being wrapped in his arms, she couldn't ignore it anymore.

Oliver Queen was her soulmate.


	10. Chapter 10

Nothing else existed except for the feel of her lips, her body in his arms, and her heart beating as wildly as his. They weren't in a conference room in Queen Consolidated. There weren't people just outside the door. The entire universe was just them being wrapped in each other. He had never been kissed like this. He didn't know what he had expected when his mom's assistant told them Felicity was there, but it wasn't this. He thought maybe she had decided she didn't want him. But once the door closed behind him, she had launched herself at him and he caught her immediately. It was a first kiss, but it easily became familiar. It was like he was born to kiss her; like he was born to hold her and never let go.

"Oliver, what's- Oh." His mother's voice snapped Oliver out of the pure ecstasy he was experiencing kissing Felicity as they jumped apart.

How the hell was he going to explain this? "Mom. Hi. Uh, this is Felicity. Smoak. Felicity, this is my mother-"

"Of course I know who you are. You're Mrs. Queen. Nice to meet you, ma'am." Felicity interrupted him, holding her hand out to his mom.

Moira shot Oliver a knowing grin as she took Felicity's hand. "So you're the infamous Felicity. Nice to meet you as well. I've heard great things." _Please don't, mother._ "Oliver talks about you all the time. I probably know more about you lately than about my son here." _Of course she had to embarrass me._

Oliver saw the blush creep up Felicity's cheeks as she avoided making eye contact with both him and his mother. "Oh. That's… uh… sweet of him."

"I just wanted to see what was holding Oliver, but I see he's in good hands." She smiled at Felicity before turning to Oliver. "Oliver, I'll just meet you in my office when you finish up here." His mother shot him a look that said, "Don't screw this up" before walking out of the office.

"Felicity, I-" Oliver started, but Felicity held up her hand for him to stop.

"I'm so sorry. I did not mean to practically maul you just across the hall from your mother's office." Oliver went to say it was no problem when she continued. "I have no idea what came over me. I came up here to tell you that threatening to break all the coffee machines in the building just so I'd accept your coffee delivery is, quite frankly, rude."

"What? But I didn't-"

"Also, how are you so sure we can make this work? Even if we are soulmates, as you seem to think so, that doesn't mean we won't hurt each other. What if you leave? My dad left, you know. When I was a kid, he left my mom and broke her heart and they were soulmates. Who's to say you won't do the same? Or that I won't? This soulmates thing is just a bunch of crap if you think about it. Just because I have a stupid little green arrow on my hip doesn't mean you have one. And if Sin is right and you do, then what if someone else out there has one too? There are a lot of different shades of green. And there are many types of arrows. How do we know ours aren't different in some way? And what if-"

Oliver closed the distance between them in one long stride and shut her up with a kiss. It was different from their first kiss just minutes ago. Their first kiss was like two people who needed the confirmation that the other felt the same as they did. It was an animalistic need to feel how the other felt through the touch of their lips and their hands and their bodies. This was a kiss full of passion. His hands were on her face, scared she would push him away the moment his lips touched hers – but she didn't. Her hands were on his hips, gripping his shirt like she was afraid he would leave. For all he knew, she probably was afraid he would leave. She had said her dad had left her and her mother and that probably had a lot to do with the hesitation she felt at being with him. But he wouldn't let her fears stop them from being great together. He wouldn't let her fears get in the way of whatever they could have.

Oliver broke the kiss, both of them panting as he rested his forehead against hers, trying to catch his breath. He hoped kissing her stayed like this forever and he knew in his heart, it would.

"Felicity." It sounded closer to a breathless moan than a word. "You have a green arrow on your hip?" He asked, opening his eyes. She still had her eyes closed and their foreheads were still touching, so he just stared down at her, waiting. He had to know he heard her correctly.

She took a deep breath. "Yes."

Oliver felt his heart beat the fastest it had ever beat before. She was his soulmate. Felicity Smoak was his soulmate. She was his. Forever. He knew she was the moment he saw the mark on his hip that night they met. He had known since he met her that she was his soulmate. He didn't need a mark to prove that, but it felt damn good to have it confirmed.

"Does it look like this one?" He asked her, lifting his shirt just enough to show her his mark.

He didn't have to see her mark to know she had the same one. The look on her face when she saw his told him everything he needed to know. She had seen this mark before. It was written all over her face when she saw his soulmate mark. Her face was filled with amazement, wonderment, happiness, confusion, and fear.

She reached her hand out to touch the mark – like she needed confirmation it was actually there and wasn't a figment of her imagination – and he took in a shallow breath. When her fingers traced the arrow, that same bolt of electricity shocked him and their eyes locked. He knew she had always felt it, too.

"Felicity, I-"

"I'm sorry, Oliver. I- I- I need to go."

She left the conference room before he could say another word, his soulmate mark and his heart, still out for the world to see.


	11. Chapter 11

Three weeks. It had been three weeks since Felicity stormed out of the conference room, leaving Oliver behind. By some small miracle, she was in her office before the tears flowed down her face. In that moment that she saw Oliver's mark, _her_ _mark_ , she felt complete fear. Fear of needing someone like her mom needed her father before he left them. Fear of loving someone so deeply that losing them would ruin her. But, mostly, the fear of what that mark meant. Seeing that mark had just confirmed what she had already known: Oliver Queen is her soulmate. Oliver is the person – out of billions of other people –the universe decided is the person she's meant to be with forever.

Felicity hadn't known how to deal with that much information, so she didn't. For the last three weeks, she went straight to work, stayed in her office, and came straight home. Sin had come over a few times the first week, but Felicity wouldn't tell her what happened and she eventually gave up. But, of course, not without a few choice words.

" _I'm not sure what happened, Felicity. But I do know the only thing that would cause you to act like this, and that's fear. I know you think every man will leave you like your dad, but that's just not true. Oliver seems like a good guy, and if you had heard the way he talked about you like I had that night at Big Belly Burger, you would know that, too. Pushing him away won't help you, Felicity. It's just going to make you miserable, and it seems you're already miserable. If you're feeling this way, imagine how he's feeling. It's only been a week and this avoidance strategy isn't going to work forever. He's your soulmate. The universe has a way of making things work and you'll run into him when you're least expecting it." Sin stood up and made her way to the door. "You're lucky, Felicity. You found the person who has the power to make you happy for the rest of your life. You found the person who will always be there for you whenever you need them. Some people spend their whole lives looking for their soulmate, and look at you. He's literally a few blocks away and you can't even get off the couch. Fear is a bitch, Felicity. Fear is probably what drove your dad away from you and your mom. Are you really going to let it drive you away from Oliver?" She left without another word._

Felicity hadn't gotten off the couch. Sin's words didn't make her run across town to the coffee shop where Oliver waited for her. They hadn't met in the middle of the coffee shop and declared their love for each other. Nothing happened other than Felicity confirmed to Netflix she was still watching Orange is the New Black and drank more wine.

This is the real world, after all.

Oliver watched Felicity run out on him three weeks ago. He hadn't gone after her. He hadn't caught her before she got on the elevator and convinced her that they would be great together. His mother hadn't come out of her office to invite them to dinner and her assistant hadn't told the story of how Oliver told her if Felicity Smoak ever came up asking for him, she let her in immediately. None of that happened. Oliver stayed in the conference room, trying to come to terms with yet another of Felicity's rejections of their feelings. He stood there until Moira came in and snapped him out of his heartbreak. She told him the words she thought he needed to hear. " _She'll come around. These things take time. Don't worry. I give it a week._ " Then he went to the club and took care of business as usual, sure that Felicity would find him and tell him she was willing to give them a shot. But that never happened either. He spent the last three weeks going to their coffee shop in the morning, only to be disappointed when she never showed up for her morning coffee. He refused to cross the line and bother her at work (even though he had come close a few times), but he knew it would only upset her more. He waited at Verdant every night, sure she would show up, but she never did. He went to the basement of the club, otherwise known as his "man cave", and be assaulted with the memory of the one time he had brought Felicity down there and refused to go down there again.

Three weeks passed without a word from her. He almost thought he had imagined her altogether, but then he'd see the soulmate mark on his hip and be reminded that she was real. She _is_ real.

Oliver wasn't sure what hurt more. The fact that she was real and hadn't contacted him, or the fact that he almost wished she wasn't real so it didn't hurt so much.

Three weeks and two days. That's how long it had been since that day in the conference room before fate intervened.

It was a beautiful Wednesday morning and Felicity hadn't noticed at all. She hadn't heard the birds chirping in the trees outside of Queen Consolidated. She hadn't seen the cute couple sitting on the bench she passed everyday on her way to work. The world seemed bleak to her ever since she left that room, and Oliver, behind. But she refused to acknowledge that Oliver was the reason. She had blamed her allergies, stress from work, even finishing Orange is the New Black for the third time as the reason she was feeling so down. She refused to admit it was because of Oliver freaking Queen. Admitting that gave him the power to affect her the way her dad affected her mother and she was adamant to never let a man have that power over her.

So… Here she was. Waiting for an elevator in Queen Consolidated, another work day ahead of her before she could go home, put on her PJ's, grab a bottle of wine, and finish Sense 8. When the elevator opened and there was no one inside, she stepped in and pushed her floor number. The doors were closing as she heard someone yell, "Hold the elevator!" Felicity shot her hand out and caught the doors, causing them to open again. She stared at her hand like it had a mind of its own. She hadn't even made the decision to stop the elevator from closing, but apparently her body acted out of instinct. She stepped aside so the man she heard quickly approaching the elevator could get on, and that was when she saw Oliver Queen. _Well… that makes sense._ She stared at her hand, glaring. It had officially betrayed her.

When he got on the elevator, he turned to her and she saw as surprise crossed over his face. At least she knew he hadn't planned the run in.

"Oh. Felicity. Hi." He pushed the button to his mother's floor.

"Oliver." She acknowledged him, not wanting to be rude, but also wanting to ignore the huge elephant in the… elevator.

They made their way up to the IT floor in complete silence. Felicity stared at the numbers that slowly counted up, refusing to look at Oliver. Apologizing meant she had done something wrong, and she didn't think she had. If anything, he should be thanking her. She saved him from getting hurt by walking away from him. Who knew? She could've left him. She is her dad's daughter after all.

From the corner of her eye, she saw him hesitate then turn towards her.

"Felicity, I think-"

He was cut off by the elevator making an awful screeching noise right before everything went black.


	12. Chapter 12

This was it. This was the end for Felicity Smoak. After being miserable for 23 days, she was going to die on an elevator with Oliver Queen. She took her last few seconds thinking about everyone she loved. She thought about her mother's face when she found out she had lost her only daughter. It would break her. Felicity was going to break her mother just like her father did. Could her mom really survive another heartbreak? She hoped with everything she had that she could. She thought about Sin. The girl was a survivor, Felicity knew, but losing a best friend after the speech Sin had given her would tear her apart. She would feel awful that the last time they had seen each other was when Sin had basically told Felicity to pull her head out of her ass. _I'm really going to miss that girl,_ Felicity thought to herself.

If you can miss people when you're dead, that is.

Then she thought of Oliver. Was he grouped into the "everyone she loved" thought too? Or did she only think of him because he was technically her soulmate? Felicity wasn't sure. But she thought about his bright blue eyes and his smile. She thought about what could've been if she hadn't been so stubborn. Maybe they would've gotten married and had 2.5 kids and a white picket fence. Maybe they would've fallen in love and had a whirlwind romance only for one of them to leave just like her father had left.

But there was no sense in dangling maybes when you were dying in a dark elevator. There are no more maybes or what ifs when you're dead.

"Felicity? Can you hear me?" Felicity heard Oliver's voice, and even realized he was talking to her, but it didn't process that she needed to respond. This was the end. There was no use in talking. She was probably dead already and just imagining him anyway. She had never really thought of the death or what comes after, but Oliver Queen greeting her at the pearly gates would sure be ironic, yet comical.

"Felicity? I really need you to respond so I know you're okay. I can't see anything, but I can hear you breathing. Are you in shock? Felicity?" Why was he asked her if she was in shock? She was dead! Of course she was in shock! But… wait. Did he say he could hear her breathing? Dead people don't breathe, right? Was she not… dead? Was her life not over? Felicity moved her hands and reached out until she collided with what she assumed was Oliver's shoulder.

"Oliver?" She whispered, not believing they weren't dead quite yet.

She suddenly felt Oliver's hand on her leg move to her hand she had put on his shoulder and grab it. How long had his hand been on her leg and why hadn't she noticed? Oh, shock. Right.

"I'm here, Felicity. I'm here. I'm okay. You're okay. We're okay. Well… You're okay right? You didn't talk for a bit there and I was worried. I know how much you like to babble, so when you weren't… I wasn't sure if you hit your head when the elevator stopped so suddenly or what. It all happened so fast. One minute I was looking at you, and the next there was nothing. Did you hit your head? I-"

"I'm fine, Oliver. Really." Felicity interrupted, squeezing his hand. She felt awful that she had worried him so much. "Do you know what happened?"

She felt him shift to sit next to her instead of in front of her and he put his arm around her. She wasn't sure if it was to comfort her or him, so she ignored it. Well, as much as she could ignore the heat she was feeling from him everywhere they were touching.

Oliver took a deep breath and said, "No. I called the elevator people after a lot of button pushing. I don't know why the emergency lights aren't coming on. But they said help would be here soon. We just need to wait."

Most women would probably be ecstatic to be stuck in an elevator with Oliver Queen, but when the man was your soulmate and you had been avoiding him for well over three weeks, you weren't most women.

Oliver felt Felicity beside him. He felt his arm around her and the small jolts of electricity passing through him whenever he was around her too. But he didn't feel like she was really there with him. Yeah, physically she was. But not mentally. Maybe not even emotionally.

The elevator collapsing terrified Oliver. Not for his own safety, but for Felicity's. He never knew how people could care more about someone else than themselves, but here he was. His immediate thought wasn't about him being hurt, but rather her being hurt. Is this what a soulmate does? Puts their soulmate above themselves?

Oliver had only thought about Felicity when the elevator lost power and shook. He knew they hadn't fallen more than a few feet, but it had felt like all 52 floors of Queen Consolidated when he was in the dark and didn't know where Felicity was. After he found the button and called emergency services, he found her just a few feet away, against the wall. She wouldn't say anything or move, but he heard her breathing and could feel her heart beating when he put his arm around her to try and get her attention. It had felt like an entire lifetime before she finally came to and replied to him.

Now, all they could do was wait. It wasn't necessarily awkward, but it was tense. He had so many things he wanted to say to her, but he didn't want to scare her away again either. He fought with himself for what had to have been twenty minutes before he decided to say something to her. If he didn't and he never saw her again, he'd regret it. If he learned anything when that elevator went black, it was that we didn't have as long in this world as we like to think we do.

"Felicity, I really think we-" Oliver started before she stopped him with a hand on his knee. His breath caught in his throat and he prepared himself for her rejection. He prepared himself for her to tell him she couldn't do this with him.

He felt her take a steadying breath before turning slightly. "Oliver, I really don't think we should do this here when I can't see you and you can't see me, okay? We'll have this talk eventually, but just not here."

 _I guess eventually is better than never_ , Oliver told himself.


End file.
